It’s almost sport for a critic to claim that a comedian isn’t as funny as he used to be; it happens to the best of them.

But not Ricky Gervais. He continues to turn out fresh material and rack up awards with every tour. The audience tonight at Wembley Arena saw Gervais at the top of his game.

His latest tour is called Science. This is a very loose description at best for a set that covers Americans, Noah and the Ark, gay relationships, fat people, Ken Dodd, terrorism and Amanda Holden.

Gervais is at his funniest not with his set peices but when he lobs in one-liners that are often deeply shocking, yet almost always stomach-clutchingly funny. If there is a message running through this new set that’s it. Humour according to Jervais is all about context.

The Evening Standard didn’t get it.